CRANBURY - Jack Ciattarelli likes to say, we are taking the "garden" out of the Garden State.

So, on Thursday afternoon, Ciattarelli dropped by one of those "gardens," or rather a farm just off the Turnpike.

This isn't your average farm - even by New Jersey standards.

Andy's Farm raises livestock on 21-acres and is fighting for survival.
The township wants to condemn the farm so the land can be used for affordable housing.

There are many issues here and Ciattarelli touched on them all as a steer named Lucky and a cow known as "Miss Moo-Jersey" watched from the other side of a fence. (Later, onlookers took turns feeding them snacks; they like bagels - really)

One issue is the state's mandate that all towns develop affordable housing, something Ciattarelli wants to change.

There also is the overall issue of "over-development," which Ciattarelli said is a big concern across the state.

And then, there is the use of condemnation, or eminent domain.

He said condemnation should be used to eliminate blight.

"There is no blight here, this is open space," Ciattarelli said, pointing to the field behind him.

A related issue is that Andy's Farm seems like a bad spot for housing. It is located off a busy road and is surrounded by warehouses and motels.

That is his beef with state affordable housing regulations.

Rather than force suburban towns to develop farms and other open space to meet state mandates, Ciattarelli says such housing should be built in older cities and towns to boost the local economy.

As an example, he pointed to Somerville, where he lives. He said smart growth around the train station has revitalized the town with not only new housing, but a Main Street filled with "mom and pop" businesses.

"That's the right approach," he said.

He said that as governor, he would challenge New Jersey's housing mandates in court if he can't get the Legislature to do it. That may be unlikely given the fact the state Senate, which is not up for election this year, will remain under Democratic control.

Because of that, perhaps, Ciattarelli took a swipe at the Dems, saying they're hypocrites when it comes to environmental policies. By that, he meant building on open land in the suburbs is not good for the environment.

A governor's race is all consuming.

Then again, a Yankee fan, Ciattarelli said he planned to get home early enough tonight to watch the last few innings of the deciding game of the Yankees-Red Sox Wild Card series.